Policy on plastic should not put jobs at risk

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Plastic waste is the problem, not plastic, says Philip Law of director general of the British Plastics Federation

No one is more aware of the worldwide concern about plastic waste in the environment than us in the plastics industry.

But let's be clear: plastic waste is the problem, not plastic. We all want the environment to be protected and for our children to grow up in a sustainable world. But it is important that we do that in a way that supports the right, rational policies that will not be counterproductive and damaging to a great, British industry. Let’s look at the facts.

Fact one: most plastic in the United Kingdom is recyclable, not least because of decades of innovation from the British plastics industry. There are almost no items that cannot be used again, whether through recycling processes...